Read on for the lowdown on the clash with Spurs.
Son returns
Heung-Min Son, who made 87 appearances and scored 29 goals for Bayer 04 from 2013 to 2015, returns to his old stomping ground with Tottenham. The South Korean has already netted four goals in the Premier League this term plus the winner in the 1-0 victory away to CSKA Moscow in the Champions League. And he was recently the first Asian footballer to be named player of the month in England. “It’s a special game for me and I was excited when I heard about the draw. I had a good time at Leverkusen and I’m looking forward to meeting my old teammates,” said Sonny.
High-octane fixture
The game between Bayer 04 and Spurs promises to be a high quality encounter. Tottenham are the only team in the Premier League, to be unbeaten after eight games this term. And the approach of both teams suggests this should be a high-octane fixture. The Spurs coach Mauricio Pochettino expressed his respect for his fellow manager Roger Schmidt. “I admire him a lot and I’ve seen a lot of his games from his time at Salzburg and Leverkusen. We both favour a similar style: aggressive, full of running and always looking to play on the front foot. This could be a very entertaining fixture for the fans,” said the Argentinian at the pre-match press conference.
Berbo scores against old club
Bayer 04 and Tottenham have met once before on the European stage. Spurs won 1-0 at the BayArena in the group stage of the UEFA Cup in 2006/07 – thanks to a strike from Dimitar Berbatov, who spent five years at the Werkself before his move to London. The Bulgaria striker did not celebrate his goal out of respect for the Bayer 04 fans and his former teammates. There is certainly room for improvement in Bayer 04’s record in matches against English teams: Leverkusen have only won three of the 19 European games against opposition from the Premier League with the other matches ending in twelve defeats and four draws. However, Tottenham have only won four of the last 13 European encounters with teams from Germany (plus two draws and seven defeats).
Fortress BayArena
The Werkself are particularly resilient at home in Europe and have not lost on home turf in nearly two years. The last defeat on the international stage was a 1-0 reverse against AS Monaco in November 2014. Since then, Bayer 04 have clocked up four wins and four draws. The club record at Leverkusen is nine home games unbeaten on the bounce (between 1995 and 1998).
Injury update
In addition to the England striker Harry Kane (ankle problem) Spurs are also likely to be without the services of Belgium defender Toby Alderweireld due to a knee injury. Bayer 04 have three long-term absentees in Karim Bellarabi, Joel Pohjanpalo and Vladlen Yurchenko. It remains to be seen whether the skipper Lars Bender will be fit for tonight’s match.
No to Racism
UEFA are once again running their ‘No to Racism’ campaign against discrimination supported by the stars and top clubs – for the first time in the UEFA Women’s Champions League as well. The campaign runs from 6 to 20 October at 60 matches in the main UEFA club competitions with the aim of combating discrimination and celebrating diversity. Anti racism ads will be broadcast during half-time at the various stadiums. All teams will come onto the pitch accompanied by children wearing t-shirts bearing the slogan ‘No to Racism’ and the two captains will wear special armbands.
Tickets still available
There are still some tickets available for the big match against Spurs in Europe’s premier club competition. The ticket offices at the BayArena are open tonight. Category IV (€42, concessions €28) and category II (€60, concessions €44) tickets are available in the Leverkusen section in blocks B1, F6 and F8.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have extended midfielder Noah Mbamba’s contract by twelve months and sent the Belgian U21 international on loan to France. At FC Lorient, the 21-year-old – whose contract at Leverkusen now runs to 30 June 2029 – is set to gain playing time in Ligue 1 and, through strong performances and further development, put himself in the running for a future place in the Werkself squad.
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Spurred on by a flawless hat-trick from Cornelia Kramer, the Bayer 04 women’s team won their penultimate pre-season friendly in commanding fashion. As part of the season launch, the Werkself beat Dutch top-flight side Feyenoord 7–0. In front of 3,000 spectators at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium, Kramer (6’, 25’, 45’), Sofie Zdebel (47’), Maja Sternad (59'), Natasha Kowalski (83') and Vanessa Fudalla (86') scored the goals for coach Roberto Pätzold’s side.
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The Shareholders’ Committee of Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH has extended the contracts of the two managing directors, Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes, ahead of schedule. The CEO, Fernando Carro (62), will continue in his role until 30 June 2029, and managing director sport Simon Rolfes (44) will remain in post until 30 June 2031.
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There’s plenty for Bayer 04 fans to enjoy both on and off the pitch at the official 2026 season launch. In addition to the women’s team taking on Feyenoord at the Ulrich Haberland Stadium at 13:15 CEST and the men’s team facing Sevilla at the BayArena at 15:30 CEST, fans of all ages can enjoy a range of activities – and get to meet Bayer 04 players and former players in the process. The Fanwelt is also offering a special promotion: buy a new shirt and get free printing! Here’s an overview of everything you need to know about the season launch, including the live streams.
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